Surrender
by Max452
Summary: Bosco loses someone close to him. (smile) just read (please!)
1. Default Chapter Running Away

Surrender

Title: Surrender

Author: Max Tyler (a.k.a. Max452)

Email: Max_01_09@yahoo.com

Rating: R

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Spoilers: Payback, Goodbye to All of That, The Price of Nobility, The Truth & Other Lies, Collateral Damage Part 1 & 2. 

Disclaimer: **_I do not own any Third Watch people or places. I do not make any money off this, it is strictly for entertainment._**

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Bosco shut his apartment door, his thoughts, on, of all people, Maritza Cruz. He tried not to, because to think of her was not only painful, but also felt traitorous. After all, she had shot his partner, Faith Yokas, who had also been his best friend. 

But what had gone down in that apartment?

He really didn't know anymore.

He had tried to forget about Cruz, put her out of his head and heart, and had halfway succeeded. 

Until tonight.

When he found out that someone had raped her.

Despite how hard he fought it, he softened.

He had asked her out to dinner, for God's sake.

What in the hell was he going to do?

******************************************************************************

He arrived at work the next day, passing by Sasha Monroe, his new partner, "Hey." he said in greeting.

She glanced at him, "Hey," she resumed putting away her things in her locker, then paused, "That was nice what you did for Cruz. Though kind of unexpected."

Bosco shrugged, "Thought she deserved it."

"So you um, know what happened?" she asked softly.

"Yeah. Fuckin' bastard." he said quietly, but with an unmistakable undercurrent of anger. 

He had barely opened his locker when he heard the dressing room door open, "Hey Bosco!"

It was Ty Davis, one of his fellow officers, and friends.

"Yeah Davis?"

"Lieutenant wants to see you. Right away."

Bosco looked as Sasha and grinned, "Just barely got here, and already they need me."

She rolled her eyes.

Bosco shut his locker and walked down to Swersky's office, who was busy on the phone. He didn't look happy. He saw Bosco, and his face grew even more grim. He stood.

"Bosco, come in, please sit down."

Oh shit, his voice was soft, gentle even. This was seriously creeping Bosco out. Thoughts of Cruz fled.

Swersky shut the door as Bosco sat cautiously down, eyeing the other man.

The heavyset lieutenant sat at his desk, his eyes everywhere but Bosco. This was unusual. The man was usually as blunt as a railroad train. Finally after a few minutes, he sighed.

"Bosco, I guess there's no easy way to say this. I just got a phone call from one of our patrols, they spotted a D.B. in a alleyway."

Bosco looked at him, his stomach rolling, a D.B. meant a dead body. 

His fingers nervously twirled his I.D. badge that hung around his neck, "Yeah? So? Is there a problem?"

Another sigh from Swersky, who stood and came over to Bosco and put a hand on his shoulder, "They found a driver's license in the guy's jeans that identified him as a Michael Joseph Boscorelli, age twenty-eight."

Bosco heard the words, but didn't react. He felt strangely numb.

"Do you know him Bosco?" Swersky asked.

"Yeah. He's...he was my younger brother." Bosco said, his voice sounding far away to his own ears.

"I thought so. I'm sorry Bosco." Swersky's voice was sympathetic.

"What happened to him?" Bosco asked, raising his eyes to meet his boss's.

Swersky immediately broke eye contact, "Bosco, I don't think you want-"

"Yes, I do," Bosco interrupted, "Was it a drug overdose?"

Swersky shook his head.

"What then?"

"He was stabbed." Swersky said reluctantly.

Bosco felt sick to sick to stomach at that knowledge. He had always prepared himself early for Mikey's death. Bosco knew, as a cop, because Mikey was a addict, that they had life expectancy of zilch. 

But someone had caused his little brother to suffer. To hurt.

He could tell on Swersky's face that it hadn't been a peaceful death.

"Where is he now?" Bosco asked.

"Mercy... he's at the Morgue," Swersky said, "But Bosco-"

He stood jerkily, "Thanks for telling me. I- I gotta go."

He hurried out of the room.

"Bosco!"

He ignored it, and bolted out of the station.


	2. Chapter 2 Definition of Friendship

Ty Davis watched in amazement as Maurice Boscorelli ran past him and the other cops, elbowing through a sea of blue uniforms, not stopping to apologize.

The amazement then turned to confusion when Swersky ran out of his office after Bosco, "Bosco!"

He shut up when he realized that the whole precinct was watching him. 

Ty hurried over, "Lieu, what the hell's going on?"

Swersky shook his head, jowls flopping, "I can't tell you. It's a personal matter...oh, what the hell. I guess maybe if you know, maybe you can talk to him. I got a call from one of our patrols about a D.B., which ended up being Bosco's younger brother. Somebody stabbed him to death in alleyway."

Ty cringed, "Ohh-kay, I'll go get Sully, and we'll see if we can find him."

"He'll probably be at Mercy, the bus took the body to the morgue." Swersky said.

"Okay."

Ty hurried back to the locker room, bumping into Bosco's partner, Sasha Monroe on the way there, "Is Sully in there?" he asked quickly.

"Yeah, he just got here. Why, something wrong?"

"Yeah. You know how Swersky called Bosco in?" 

"Yeah. So?"

"Uh, well... his brother was killed downtown. Somebody stabbed him, and Bosco just took outta here like a bat out of hell." Ty said.

Sasha looked frozen for a moment, "Poor Bosco."

"Yeah, anyway, Sully and I gotta go look for him. Talk to ya later." 

*****************************************************************************

Sasha wandered around for a moment, thinking about Bosco. Sure, sometimes she didn't like him, and they argued a lot, but she could only imagine the pain he was in right now. She had two brothers and a sister and she could only imagine what it would be like if one of them were brutally murdered- 

In her daze, she didn't notice Sergeant Maritza Cruz until she said "Hey Monroe, anybody home?"

"Oh, hey Cruz, I was just thinking."

"'Bout what?" Cruz asked. She seemed better today, a little more spirit in her dark eyes.

"Bosco."

"Bosco? What about him?" 

Was it just Sasha's imagination or did Cruz's tone hold a tint of jealousy? Her dark eyes were staring at Sasha a bit suspiciously. She ran a hand through her straight black hair, waiting for a reply. 

"Something awful happened to him." Sasha said.

Cruz stopped in her tracks and a look of terror played out on her features, "What do you mean something happened to him? He get shot?"

"No, well, his younger brother was killed this morning downtown." 

The terror on her face changed... to something Sasha couldn't identify. Was it sympathy? Understanding maybe? Cruz's younger sister, Leticia, had died not that long ago, if Sasha understood right.

"Where is he now?" 

Cruz's voice, soft with concern, interrupted Sasha's thoughts, "Nobody knows for sure. Swersky thinks Mercy 'cause that's where they took the body."

Cruz nodded, "Okay, let's go."

"But Ty and Sully are already..."

"Doesn't matter. We're going, too." Cruz replied firmly.

Sasha was confused, but obeyed. After all, Cruz was the superior officer.

They took the 55-David, Bosco and Sasha's patrol car, instead of the van that they had been using for undercover for the past few weeks.

They arrived at Mercy in fifteen minutes, meeting Ty and Sully there.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" Sully asked, his tone somber.

"Same thing as you. Lookin' for Bosco." Sasha said.

"Why did Swersky send us to the same place?" Ty queried.

"He didn't. I'm doin' this out of the goodness of my heart. Gotta problem?" Cruz asked. 

Ty held up his hands placatingly, "No, no problem."

They headed towards the elevator.

"I hate the morgue." Sasha muttered

"Yeah, well I think everyone here agrees with you there." Ty said.

They were almost there when Mary Procter, the motherly, round ER nurse stepped out, "You're too late."

The four cops turned, "Huh?"

"If you're looking for Bosco, which I bet you are, you're too late. He's already been here... and left."

"Did he say where he was going?" Cruz asked the nurse.

"No," Procter winced, "And unfortunately, if you're wondering, he _did _view his brother. And the body was in terrible condition, beaten, multiple stab wounds to the abdomen, chest, back and even his face, Bosco wasn't doing well when he left."

Cruz sighed, "Okay, this is gonna be harder that we first thought," she turned to Sully, "Has anybody notified Bosco's mother?"

"No."

"Okay, I think somebody should probably do that. I'll call Swersky, and have him send somebody over."

She turned to Sasha, "Okay, I don't know if this is a good idea, but maybe you should tell Yokas what happened. Maybe she'd have some idea where Bosco would go."

Sasha nodded slowly, "Okay, will do."

"Do you two want to just look around? I know it'll just be a shot in the dark, but I don't know what else to do." Cruz said to Ty and Sully.

"Sure, maybe Swersky will even give us a couple more guys to look." Ty said.

Cruz nodded and pulled out her cell phone, and dialed Swersky's number.

"Lieutenant Swersky."

"Swersky, this is Cruz. We got to Mercy, Bosco was here, but he's already left. Procter said he wasn't doing very well when he left, and he wouldn't say where he was going."

"Shit."

"Yeah, well, I thought I'd have Sullivan and Davis canvas the area, could we spare a couple of guys to help?"

"Yeah. Anything else?"

"Yeah, actually I'm sending Monroe over to Faith Yokas's house, I thought she might know where Bosco might go. But I was wondering if you could send someone, preferably a woman, over to break the news to Mrs. Boscorelli."

There was a sigh, "Hell, I never thought about that. Yeah, I'll get right on it."

"Okay."


	3. Chapter 3 The Saddest Song

Swersky hung up, and rubbed his temples. This day was getting worse by the minute.

He paged through the duty rooster to find a female police officer who could go over to sing that sad old song that cops have to do almost every day to Mrs. Boscorelli... to tell her that her youngest son was dead. 

Finally he noticed one his patrol women who was riding a desk while her partner was on medical leave. Twenty-eight-year old Kinsey Gallagher, a smart, compassionate cop. She'd do the best job.

He called her in.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Kinsey stepped cautiously inside his office, her dark eyes watching him. She was nervous at being summoned to his office, it showed on her pretty heart-shaped face, and the way her fingers alternately twirled her hair and rubbed one of her high cheekbones.

"Yes, sit down Officer, and relax. I just have a job for you."

"Oh? And what is that, sir?"

"Do you know Officer Maurice Boscorelli?" Swersky asked, looking at her.

"Uh, yes, sir, slightly. He's a good cop."

"Well, unfortunately, his younger brother was found dead this morning, and I need you to go break the news to his mother."

She grimaced slightly.

"You have a problem officer?" Swersky asked sharply. He didn't have time for this bullshit.

"No sir, sorry. Just telling someone that their loved one's dead isn't my favorite part of this job." Kinsey said quietly, looking down at her hands, kneading them together.

Swersky felt his anger deflate, "Sorry officer. But I was just thinking that you'd do the gentlest job."

"Yes sir, I understand."

"So you'll do this?"

"Yes, do you have Mrs. Boscorelli's address?" Kinsey asked, getting to her feet.

Swersky got his computer, and typed up Bosco's file, finding his mother as his contact in case he was injured in the line of duty. 

"It's 234 Kasdan Street in Brooklyn." he reported

Both she and Swersky stood.

"Anything else, sir?" she asked, those almond-shaped dark brown eyes locking directly on Swersky's.

"Just tell her... maybe call a relative to sit with her. Then after that's taken care of, if you don't want to come back to desk duty, you can call Sergeant Cruz and see if she has anything for you."

"Okay..." the cop paused, "Sir, why isn't Officer Boscorelli with his mother, if you don't mind me asking?"

Swersky looked at her hard, "Can you keep your mouth shut?"

Kinsey nodded.

"After I told him about his brother's death, Officer Boscorelli got... upset and left. And we haven't been able to locate him."

Kinsey nodded slowly, "Okay. So is Sergeant Cruz in charge of-"

"Yeah, looking for Bosco. Although it's not really a official thing."

"Okay. I'll talk to her after I'm finished at Mrs. Boscorelli's.

****************************************************************************** 

Bosco walked the streets of New York, half in a daze, ignoring the smells, and noises of the city. 

He kept picturing Mikey. 

His brother lying on that cold hard slab in the morgue. 

His bulging, sightless eyes staring at Bosco accusingly.

He had been curled up into a ball, a last-ditch effort to defend himself before the knife had finally killed him.

And the terrible wounds that the knife had caused. On his brother's poor face... flesh was ripped away, cheekbone revealed. All of the stab wounds on his chest and back. Blood was everywhere, had turned the clothes Mikey had been wearing a gruesome crimson.

Bosco would never forget that awful picture.

He swallowed, feeling a wave of nausea. But shoved it away.

Shoved everything away.

He had some scum to talk to.

******************************************************************************

Sasha Monroe knocked on Faith Yokas's apartment door, praying that Fred Yokas wasn't home. She liked the man well enough, but he hated Bosco. If she even mentioned his name, Fred would throw her ass out.

After a minute, the door opened.

Faith, still in a wheelchair following a shoot-out with Sergeant Cruz, sat there. 

Monroe offered her friend a uneasy smile, "Hi Faith."

"Hey Monroe, what are you doing? Come in." Faith replied, smiling.

"Nothin'... hey, is Fred here?" Sasha said, glancing around.

"No, he's at work. Why, is something wrong?"

Sasha nodded slowly, hesitated, "Um, well, It's about Bosco."

Faith, who had been wheeling towards the kitchen, stopped dead, a unreadable expression on her face, "What about him?"

"His brother was killed this morning." Sasha said.

"Mikey's dead?"

Sasha nodded.

"Can't say I'm not surprised. Guy was a walking O.D."

"He didn't O.D. Somebody stabbed him to death in a alleyway." Sasha said and filled Faith in on what happened with Bosco after that.

"So we were wondering, if you knew where he might go?"

"Have you been to his mother's?" Faith asked.

"Swersky sent an officer over there. Hasn't checked in yet."

"Well, actually I doubt he'll go over there. I'm sorry, I can't really help you." Faith said.

Sasha thanked her and went to leave, paused, "Hey Faith."

"Yeah?"

"I know where he'd go. If he thought he was still wanted."

"Huh?"

"Here Faith. When I was asking what he was going to do for Christmas, he said he was going to his mom's, and that was it. He said he used to go to your house, and you could tell how much he misses you. But you broke his heart, even though he tried so hard to apologize."

Faith stared at Sasha, "Since when did you become Bosco's number one fan?"

"Since I've worked with him every day and got to know what a good guy he is. When I was frantically trying to find a Oliver the Onion for my nephew on Christmas Eve, and although a grateful store owner generously gave me one, as you know, we aren't allowed to accept, Bosco cajoled Lieu into letting me have it. So he is a good guy, even if some people don't think so." Sasha snapped.

With that said, she left, shutting the door hard behind her.


	4. Chapter 4 Here Without You

At 234 Kasdan Street in Brooklyn, Kinsey Gallagher took a deep breath, steeling herself as she knocked on Rose Boscorelli's door.

A pretty woman in her fifties answered the door. She was smiling at first until she noticed that the young woman at the door was wearing a police officer's uniform.

"Oh my god... Has Maurice been-" Rose Boscorelli's face was the picture of terror.

"No, Mrs. Boscorelli, Officer Boscorelli is fine. I'm Officer Gallagher. Kinsey Gallagher, may I come in?"

Confused, but obviously a sweet woman, Mrs. Boscorelli said, "Of course."

Kinsey stepped in to a modest, well-kept apartment, and stood stiffly, wondering what in hell she was going to say.

"Mrs. Boscorelli, you may want to sit down."

Fear filling her face again, Rose Boscorelli sat, "What?" she whispered.

"This is about your younger son, Michael." Kinsey said softly.

Rose Boscorelli raised a trembling hand to her face, "Oh no, please no."

Kinsey stepped closer, and placed a tentative hand on the older woman's shoulder, "I'm sorry, but Michael was killed this morning."

"No." Rose Boscorelli moaned, almost inaudibly, and tears began to run down her cheeks. Her slender shoulders began to shake helplessly as if in a palsy.

"I'm so sorry." Kinsey murmured, feeling totally helpless.

"I should've let Maurice keep him in jail." Rose whispered, staring at her hands.

"What?" Kinsey was lost.

"If he was still in jail, he wouldn't have had any drugs. He wouldn't have overdosed."

Kinsey was learning all sorts of things about the Boscorelli family. The older son was a cop, while the younger one had been drug addict. Odd...

"It wasn't a overdose Mrs. Boscorelli." Kinsey said.

"What?" it was the other's woman's turn to be confused.

"He was...um, he was stabbed. Murdered." Kinsey said reluctantly.

The woman's face went pale. Kinsey was alarmed at the transformation.

"Mrs. Boscorelli, are you alright?" Kinsey grabbed her arm, trying to steady her.

"My poor baby," she whispered, "I think I'm going to be sick."

She stood, and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

Kinsey winced as she heard the sound of violent retching.

After about fifteen minutes, Rose emerged, white-faced, tears still running down her face.

"Mrs. Boscorelli, why don't you sit down, and do you have a sister, or someone I could call to come sit with you?"

She said, her voice fading in and out, "My sister, Amelia Beckett, her phone number 565-989-344."

She then laid, face down, on the sofa, and began to sob harder.

Kinsey nodded, and picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello?" a soft, modulated female voice answered.

"Yes, is this Amelia Beckett?" Kinsey kept an eye on Mrs. Boscorelli, who was staring vacantly at the wall.

"Yes, who is this?"

"This is Officer Kinsey Gallagher from the 31st Precinct. I'm afraid I have some bad news."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then "Go on."

"Your nephew, Michael, was killed this morning. I'm over at his mother's house, and she's not doing well. Could you come over right away?" 

"Yes, yes, I live about fifteen minutes away. Could you stay with her until I get there?"

"Of course ma'am."

There was a soft click as the phone was disconnected and Kinsey hung up. She then was faced with the daunting task of keeping a terribly distraught woman company.

__

Hell, I don't even make good "normal" company!

She was beginning to panic, a bead of sweat running down her forehead, and she was mentally cursing Swersky for calling on her to do this.

Rose Boscorelli sat up abruptly.

Kinsey took a step back, wary, "Are you all right, Mrs. Boscorelli? Can I get you something?"

"Do they know who did this?" her tone was fierce.

"Who...?" Kinsey didn't want to say the words for fear that it would set off another crying jag.

"The person, this fucker who murdered my baby." she spat.

"I don't know Mrs. Boscorelli. I'm not Homicide. But I..."

"Call them and find out!" the woman's voice was edging towards hysterics.

Kinsey nodded, and hastily dialed numbers, and got patched to Lieutenant Swersky.

"Do they have a suspect for Michael Boscorelli's murder?" she asked quickly. Rose was looking moodily out the window, not at her, thank god.

"No. Not yet anyway. There wasn't anybody in the alleyway, just him, and their still processing the fingerprints on the knife."

Kinsey turned and cupped the receiver in her hand and whispered, "But sir, what am I going to tell this woman? She sounds nuts, she wants there to be a suspect!"

"Well, I'm sorry, there isn't one. Tell her that the information is still being processed."

"Oh yeah, that's like sticking a wad of gum in a crack in a dam." Kinsey muttered sarcastically.

"Officer." Swersky said, his tone warning.

"Sorry."

Again, the phone was disconnected.

*****************************************************************************

Faith Yokas sat alone in her apartment, feeling cool and lonely. Charlie and Emily were at school, Fred was at work. She had gotten to the point where she could get around by herself unassisted, so she could be left alone.

And today, she didn't want to be.

Because she left alone with her thoughts of Bosco, thanks to Sasha Monroe. 

__

"Here Faith. When I was asking what he was going to do for Christmas, he said he was going to his mom's, and that was it. He said he used to go to your house, and you could tell how much he misses you. But you broke his heart, even though he tried so hard to apologize."

She had forgiven Bosco for transgressions time after time. So when she got shot, she told herself that this was the last straw. Had told him that she didn't want to see him again.

Sasha said that those words broke his heart.

Faith brushed back a strand of blond hair from her eyes as she sighed, her emotions conflicted. 

What should she do?

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Bosco stopped 29 Rayner Street in the Bronx. It was dirty, littered with crack, crack-heads, whores, pimps, and all kinds of filth that made the world go 'round. 

Right now, Bosco was looking for a particular piece of trash. One of his snitches, a pimp named Gemini, who was disgusting, knew lots of dirty deeds that went down on the street. Maybe he'd have some information on who killed his brother.

He spied the pimp, his coffee-colored skin that wasn't covered with a puffy parka was gleaming in the weak winter light. He also had a dark pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, baggy jeans that threatened to reveal his ass, and a cigarette jammed between his lips.

When he spied Bosco, he grinned, "Hey Boscorelli. How's it hangin'?" 

Bosco slowly shook his head, "Do you know anything about a guy getting murdered this morning? Stabbed to death in a alley?"

Gemini took a long drag on his cigarette, his already lean cheeks hollowing out further, cheekbones prominent. He shook his head slowly, "Nah man, haven't heard nothin'."

Bosco watched him closely. He had knew Gemini for years. That coupled with his cop instincts, told him that the man was lying to him.

And that pissed him off because he didn't have the fucking patience. His brother was dead, and somebody needed to pay.

With a snarl, Bosco grabbed Gemini by the front of his parka, and slammed him up against the concrete wall hard. Even though Gemini was a foot and half taller, and outweighed Bosco by at least fifty pounds, Bosco had something better on his side. Blinding rage.

"Hey Bosco, man whatya doing?" Gemini choked out, his cigarette dropping to the ground.

"Listen to me, you miserable little skel. I know you're lying. You think after all this time you could lie to me? Now listen good, that guy in the alley? He was my younger brother, Mikey. So if you know anything about it, you better start talking unless," Bosco gave him a cold, dead smile, "you want to become a missing person?"


	5. Chapter 5 Reckless Abandon

Gemini swallowed hard, but he refused to be intimated by the smaller man.

Bosco had figured this, so he smiled, a cold, hard smile that was by far more bitter than the chilly December morning.

And quicker than Gemini could blink, the young cop had his pistol out, and pressed up against his teeth.

Bosco grinned as he felt it reverberate against the pimp's teeth, and watched as his face turned a ashy gray.

"And if you think I'm joking 'bout using this, you better think again." Bosco whispered hard in his ear.

Gemini looked nervous, "But if ya kill me, how could ya find anything out, white boy?"

Bosco shook his head, and chuckled, like Gemini had said something mildly amusing, "Of course I wouldn't kill you outright. That would be stupid. I'd just shoot ya in the shoulder, the kneecap, hands, feet..." he trailed off, his eyes growing hard as steel, "Or you could just tell me what you know."

Looking at the little man's face, which was as impassive as a statue, Gemini realized that the cop would shoot him and bury him in a shallow grave if he didn't 'fess up.

So he spilled.

"Yo, ya see, one of my bitches, Charlie, she was workin' the corner where your brother got ripped."

"Why didn't she go to the police?" Bosco asked, still holding tightly to the pimp, but had pulled back on the pistol.

Gemini snorted derisively, "Oh yeah, like she was eager to end up like your brother? Nah, she told me she saw a guy get iced, and the she kept her trap shut."

"Where can I find your girl?" Bosco asked.

"No way in hell is a cop talkin' to her." Gemini snapped.

Bosco waggled his pistol threateningly in the air in front of Gemini's face, started to shove it in his mouth again. Tightened his grip around his throat.

"Fine, okay, okay. Three blocks away on Danner, should be working the corner," he winked "Business, ya know."

"What does she look like, so I can single her out?" 

"Ahh, she looks like any other whore." Gemini shrugged

Bosco gave him throttled him viciously, "Like what's her hair color, and how tall is she, you idiot."

"Oh. She got blond hair, it's chin length and brown eyes, and she kinda little, she's probably only 'bout 5 '2." Gemini rattled off of this off helpfully. 

Bosco nodded, and gave a saccharine sweet smile that didn't match his eyes, which were sharp and cold. He returned his pistol to his holster, and released Gemini's throat, who's hand automatically went to rub it. While he was attending to it, Bosco administered a unbelievably hard kick to the pimp's balls. Bosco watched in satisfaction as he crumpled to the sidewalk, his face a mask of agony.

"Don't call 'em "bitches" again. And you should've reported what happened to my brother. Maybe he would've lived."

Leaving Gemini squirming, crying, perhaps even pissing his pants for all Bosco knew, but he didn't look back.

He had a witness to find.

******************************************************************************

"Brr," Ty did a shuffling dance, his arms wrapped around his torso for warmth, breath pluming in the frosty air, "We've been out lookin' for three hours, I don't think Bos is here."

Sully hated to defeat, but he was starting to think that his young partner was right. He and Ty, along with six other officers had been scouring the area fruitlessly. While the temperature dropped mercilessly, the cold razor-sharp wind easily cutting through their winter gear, snowflakes sticking to their hair, and eyelashes.

A young pretty, dark featured patrolwoman trudged up to Sully, the cold obviously sapping her of strength. Her partner trailed behind her.

"Hey Sully, no sign of him." the woman said. Her name was Eva Rodriguez, and although she had only been on the force for about a year, she was rapidly ascending in status. 

Her partner, a three-year veteran Angela Grady, had been silent in a effort to make her teeth stop chattering, was finally successful, added, "Yeah, so Officer Yokas had no idea where he was?"

Ty shook his head, and gazed skywards at the falling snow, "Nope, guess she was being uncooperative. Or at least hostile. Monroe sounded pissed, and if you're a partner with Bosco, it takes a lot to get a person pissed."

"Has anyone checked his apartment?" Eva asked.

The three older officers looked at each other. _Duh. _

"Uh, no. That's a good idea Eva." Sully said, and called Cruz to tell her that there was no sign of Bosco around the hospital, but they were going to check on his apartment.

"Okay."

"Where are you?" Sully asked

"A bar called Meteor. He talked about going to it a few times with his girlfriend Nicole. It's a long shot, but hey, what the hell."

"Yeah, what the hell," Ty echoed, wrapping his arms around his torso for warmth, "So we'll head over to Bosco's apartment, and if he's there, we'll call."

"Okay."

******************************************************************************

Bosco stepped onto Danner Street, his weary dark eyes scanning the various working girls, trying to find the girl, Charlie, who might have witnessed his brother's murder. 

He saw a lot of blonds, but none of them were as small as Gemini had described. Then he saw someone who fit the description...

Tiny, as Gemini said, thin bordering on the point of boniness. Short light blond chin-length hair, with round light brown eyes framed with sooty dark lashes. 

She eyed him as he walked over to her, and he was silently thankful that he wasn't wearing his uniform.

"Hey." she said, her voice was soft and innocent. It sounded like a child's. He wondered if it was her real speaking voice, or if it was an act.

"Hey. You wanna earn a hundred bucks?" Bosco stepped closer.

She was wary, "Why? What do you wanna do? What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. I just want some information. On what you saw this morning." Bosco said quietly.

He watched as fear flare up in the girl's soft brown eyes, and she whirled, trying to flee.

But Bosco was quick. He neatly snagged her small wrist with one hand, holding her still easily.

She struggled fiercely, her eyes going wild now. She raised her other hand, and with her long, manicured fingernails, raked them down his left cheek.

He hissed with pain, but didn't let go.

"Listen to me. I'm a cop..."

"Yeah, tell me somethin' I haven't figured out, you bastard." she spat, still struggling.

"But I'm not here as a cop. That guy this mornin', he was my brother. I need to find out who killed him." he said, his face deadly serious. He felt something wet trickle down his cheek, and swiped at it, his fingers coming away dappled with blood.

She stopped fighting, going still, "Really? He was your brother?"

"Yeah. My younger brother, Michael." Bosco said, his voice tight.

"Nobody will know this information has come from me...will they?" Charlie asked, her brown eyes looking at Bosco nervously, then around the streets, as if she would spot the man any minute.

Bosco nodded, and waited. He felt depressed, but edgy. He needed to find his brother's killer, and quickly. 

He needed to make him pay... slowly and painfully. Just as Mikey had died.

But before he could do anything, he needed a name. But before he could get a name, he needed a face. 

And this young, pretty hooker could supply it. If she would stop jumping around.

Bosco would never treat her the way he had treated Gemini. He would never, ever hurt a woman. He didn't have many moral rules, but that was one of them. It was second. The first was never hurt a kid, second never hurt a woman...

His subconscious asserting that he wouldn't become his father.

So he took a deep breath, tried to quell the mixture anger and impatience, and asked, "Can you tell me what the guy looked liked?" 

Charlie sighed, looking trapped and defeated, "Will you protect me...can you? Promise?" 

"I promise." Bosco vowed, his eyes locking on hers.

She nodded, and closed hers, He was tall, six-foot three, powerfully built, broad shoulders. He had light brown hair, like yours, cut about like yours too, pretty short. His nose looked like had been broken before, ya know? He had thin upper lip, and a full lower one. 

Bosco was writing all of this down, excited at the detailed description, What was he wearing? Black leather jacket. Black long sleeved shirt, blue jeans. Running shoes."Charlie finished.

"That's great, you did a great job. Here's your money." 

Bosco handed it to her, and she promptly stuffed it into the tiny purse she carried.

Bosco wanted to take off, but something about her made him stop.

Can I ask you a question?

She was wary, but she nodded.

"How did you do that? Remember everything about the guy? I mean, most witnesses manage to tell us that the guy was white, had brown hair...but that's 'bout it. How did you do it?"

"I was an artist...or I was studying to be. But something happened, I ran out of money, and..."

"You ended up on the streets." Bosco said. There was no scorn in his voice, only sadness.

"Yeah." 

"When all of this over, I'm coming back. I'll help you, Charlie. Bosco vowed.

She smiled, but there was more than a little of her own sadness in it,"Forgive me for sayin', but I'm not gonna hold my breath. Goodbye Officer Boscorelli, I hope you find the man."


	6. Chapter 6 Empty Handed

Maritza Cruz could see that Bosco wasn't in Meteor. But because she was a dedicated, thorough cop, and because she had more than a professional interest in this, she checked more than once.

She had lied to Ty on the radio. Bosco and an old girlfriend didn't used to kick it here. 

This was a place she and Bosco used to hang at after work. 

She made her way into the smoky, dimly lit back. Ignoring the wolf whistles, and sexual innuendoes that were frequently called her way. Ordinarily, she would've found the offenders, rip their balls off, and stuff 'em down their throats.

But she didn't have time for that right now.

Bosco might be in trouble, or doing something incredibly stupid. Either harming himself intentionally, or risking his life in the name of revenge.

Though she could hardly blame him for wanting revenge...didn't she want the exact same thing, after Letty's death?

She had gone to the morgue, and seen Michael Boscorelli's body. Even though, she was a cop, hardened violence, she had winced. The wounds were vicious. Whoever had done it, didn't want him walking away. 

And she had winced because he was Bosco's brother, someone he had loved.

Because she could see Bosco so vividly in the ripped, battered face, and could envision him on the slab, instead of Michael.

Now at the bar, she noticed a few regulars, and asked if they had seen Bosco.

All she got was a couple of slurred "Nope's", and head-shakes.

Goddamnit.

She took out her portable radio, wincing at the interference. She went outside Meteor, and fiddled with it until it cleared.

"Davis." She ran a hand through her hair, shivering in the cold air.

"Yeah, that you Sarge?"

"Yeah. There's no sign of Bosco, and no one's seen him." 

"We just finished with his apartment. It's empty. Looks like no one's been here," Ty paused, "You don't think he's done anything stupid?"

Looks like Davis had been thinking along the same lines she had. 

"Hell, I don't know. I wouldn't think so. Bosco's not like that, but..." she let the sentence hang.

"Let's hope it's nothin' like that.." Ty's voice was heavy.

"You haven't mentioned your theory to those other officers, have you? That newbie, and her partner?

"No, I haven't said anything to anyone. Even to Sully."

"Okay. Keep in touch." 

"Will do."

****************************************************************************

Kinsey Gallagher nearly sighed with relief Rose Boscorelli's sister, Amelia Beckett, walked through the door.

She had been sitting with the grief-stricken woman for the past half hour, wondering what in the hell she should do.

So when woman came in, Kinsey had to restrain herself from hugging her.

Instead she stood, straightening her uniform, "Ma'am, I'm Officer Gallagher." and offered her hand.

Amelia took it, and sadly glanced at her sister lying, nearly comatose on the sofa.

"I always wondered which one would go first. Michael or Bosco." the woman said softly.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?"

Amelia sighed, "You probably already knew that Mikey was a drug addict. And Bosco, because of your job, is always taking such risks. I've forgotten the times Rose has called me to talk because Bosco had been injured in the line-of-duty. But it is a noble cause...what he does and he turned out the polar opposite of his father."

Kinsey was curious about that remark, but she was silent. Couldn't pry into family affairs.

"Well, if you need anything ma'am, or if Mrs. Boscorelli needs anything," Kinsey grabbed a pen, and scribbled some numbers on a slip of paper, "Here's my cell phone number. I'll have it on. I'd stay here," _But I can't sit with this poor woman anymore_, "But my superior called me in on a search."

"I understand. Thanks for sitting with her." Amelia said.

Kinsey nodded, and quietly slipped out of the door.

On the way down the stairs, she took her portable radio off of her belt, "This is Officer Gallagher at 234 Kasdan Street. Sergeant Cruz, are you there?"

A brisk, somewhat familiar voice came on the line, "Yeah, this is Cruz."

"This is Officer Gallagher...I just finished watching Officer Boscorelli's mother, and Lieutenant Swersky said that after I was done here to see if you needed any help."

There was a short pause, then a sigh, "Yeah, I haven't found shit, but another pair of eyes might help. I'm at a bar called Meteor... know where that is?"

"Yes, I've been there a few times. I'll be right there."


End file.
